Misunderstandings
by ShiTiger
Summary: Avian AU (humanoid harpy-like Red, and human Leonard). Empress Zeta has agreed to a truce, but the constant flirting between her and Leonard is causing Red infamous temper to surge.
1. Chapter 1

Note: I have a few upcoming stories set in an Avian AU. The birds are humanoid, similar to harpies. They have feathers for hair, and wings, tails, and bird legs/feet. The pigs are human. For this particular story, the islands are the same as in the movie.

* * *

**Ch 1: Enemies with Benefits**

"Not that your quaint little home isn't lovely," Leonard insisted, the moment the other man released his arm. "But I really don't see why you had to drag me all the way here before I even had a chance to finish dessert." He glanced around, immediately noting the lack of guest-friendly furniture. The single room that made up the main floor of the avian's home boasted a small kitchen table with two wooden chairs, a simple rug on the floor, and a rather beaten-up and very roughly repaired flower pot. The entire place screamed lonely. Before the man could say more, the little avian turned on him, golden eyes blazing.

"The two of you are driving me crazy!"

One of Leonard's eyebrows immediately rose, even as his gaze drifted over the shorter man's vivid red headfeathers which seemed to be puffing up as a result of his anger. "I don't know what you mean," the king stated, honestly confused by the accusation.

"You and HER. Every time she's around, you get all weird. She showed up with her purple feathers and fancy dresses, and everyone thinks she's just _perfect_. Just because she's tall and exotic doesn't mean that she's THAT amazing," Red huffed, crossing his wings over his chest.

How cute. Little Red, the most outspoken avian on the island, had a crush. The human king nearly chuckled aloud at the thought. "Awww, Red. Do you like Zet…"

"She keeps TOUCHING you! She's always batting her stupid eyes, and getting close to you. Doesn't that bother you?" the avian interrupted, waving a wing in annoyance.

Leonard had to pause for a moment to consider his words. "Does it bother me that a pretty avian lady wants my attention?"

"She's not **that **pretty," Red grumbled under his breath, crossing his wings over his chest again.

"Red…" The king was gobsmacked at the idea that was beginning to form in his mind. Perhaps he was reading too much into the other man's words.

"I just wish she'd leave already. You're MY enemy, not hers," the avian snapped, his golden eyes latching onto the human with a fury and passion that was normally unseen outside of battle.

Leonard gaped at the little birdman. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you had a thing for me, Red."

"Don't be stupid. I've never had a_ thing_ for anyone," the avian shot back, making air quotes with his wingtips. "But you're my enemy, and she just showed up and got all touchy with you."

Leonard felt his lips drawing up into a smirk. "You like me," the human concluded, resisting the urge to stroke his beard in triumph. The avian had proven to be a worthy adversary, but he'd never expected the little birdman to form feelings for him.

"I do not," Red snapped back, huffing in annoyance.

Stepping into Red's personal space caused the smaller man to take a step back. Their little game of chase only ended when Leonard effectively pinned the petite avian to the wall.

"What are you doing?" Red demanded to know, his eyes shooting daggers up at the other man.

"I'm going to kiss you," Leonard announced, drawing his fingertips up the other man's lovely wing.

"What?!" Red's headfeathers rose even further. "Why?"

"If you don't like me, as you claim, than us kissing won't be a big deal," the king stated calmly, his fingers running over the strap of the other man's tunic. It was a dull, wheat-like color, and it lacked any originality in design or detail. Leonard instantly found himself fantasizing about finding the perfect tunic for the avian's pale, freckled skin, and crimson feathers. Perhaps green… it was Leonard's favorite color, after all. Although, combining green with the little man's bright red feathers might be a bit too festive for summer. White, perhaps. Or blue.

"Enemies don't kiss… do they?" Red asked hesitantly, his fierce gaze softening in confusion.

Leonard considered his words carefully. "Some do," he finally stated, waiting to see what the avian would say to that.

"I…" the petite man glanced around, his wingtips absentmindedly tugging at fabric of his tunic as he thought about Leonard's words. "I guess we could… give it a try. Just to prove that it isn't a big deal."

"Of course. This is nothing more than a little experiment," the king agreed, leaning down to bring their faces closer together. In the last instant before their lips could touch, the avian surged forward, rubbing their cheeks together. He pulled back just as quickly, his entire face flushed in embarrassment.

"There, see, it didn't mean anything," the petite man stated, his golden eyes refusing to meet Leonard's gaze.

"Why that was…" _Absolutely adorable_, Leonard thought to himself. Perhaps the avians were more bird-like then he originally thought. But still… he would prefer to actually walk away from this little encounter with a memory more pleasant than just a cheek rub.

"You can leave now," Red suddenly huffed, his headfeathers calming back down to normal, even as his cheeks lost their crimson hue.

"I could… but I still haven't gotten my kiss," the king stated, cupping the smaller man's cheek with a single hand.

"I just gave you a..!" Red's argument was immediately swallowed by the lips pressing against his own. His wings shot out, settling on the bigger man's chest. He wasn't pushing him away… not yet.

Leonard tilted his head, wrapping his other arm around the birdman's waist to pull him closer. He couldn't be certain how long they stood there, but he noted the moment the avian's wingtips grasped his shirt, even as he pressed back into the kiss.

When they finally pulled apart, the human was amused to see the dazed expression on his rival's face. There was a plumpness to his lips that hadn't been there before their little experiment. "Was that your first kiss?" Leonard asked, leaning forward to whisper into the avian's ear… or where he thought the avian's ear might be. It was rather hard to tell if they even did have ears beneath all those headfeathers.

"Never been kissed like that…" Red softly admitted. "I mean, Chuck kissed me after we rescued the eggs, but he's with Bomb, so it wasn't really that big of a deal. And we don't kiss like that!" Golden eyes darted away uncertainly. "At least, I don't _think_ we do."

How could the little avian be this cute, and still unspoken for? Leonard could only shake his head in bemusement, before he chanced another press of his lips against the other man's freckled cheek. "You really are an intriguing enemy."

"Of course, I am. I'm the best enemy you'll ever have," the avian immediately boasted.

"Well then, if we're done… I should be heading back to dinner," the king stated calmly, turning toward the door.

"What?"

"It's nothing really, but I was going to invite Zeta out for a walk,"

"WHAT!" Crimson wings latched onto the human's arm, stopping him in his tracks. The owner of said wings was oblivious to the smirk curving over the king's lips. "You've never asked me to go for a walk!"

A dark-skinned hand settled over the crimson feathers on his arm, drawing Red's attention to the now charming smile of the taller man's face. "Would you like to join me for a walk this evening, Red?"

"I… um… wait… I… argh! Fine! I don't have anything better to do, and it beats having to watch you and HER make eyes at each other," Red finally grumbled, practically yanking Leonard toward the door.

"Of course. This is just a leisurely stroll between two close enemies who enjoy each other's company. Nothing weird about that," Leonard commented. "There's no need to rush. In fact, if you just take my arm lightly, rather than trying to pull me along, this stroll will be much more enjoyable."

"Oh… right," Red said, allowing the larger man to maneuver his wing until it was gently hooked around his smooth-skinned arm.

"That's better. I'm looking forward to our first delightful stroll as enemies with benefits," the king announced, gently guiding the petite avian out the door.

"What benefits?" The only answer Red received was a light chuckle from the taller man. Puffing out his cheeks, he tightened his wing. And he wasn't secretly enjoying the attention of his most hated enemy. Not even a tiny bit. He was only doing this to keep the human away from the purple-feathered empress. After all, he was Red's enemy first.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ch 2**

Light filtered through the open windows, hitting Leonard in the eye. Grumbling in annoyance, the king attempted to roll over — intending to bury his face in his pillow, only to find that he was effectively pinned down by another body. As he lay on what felt like a worn-out rug on a very uncomfortable floor, his brain struggled to play catchup with the previous evening.

Eyes like liquid gold, freckled skin that begged to be kissed, feathers as crimson as blood… the same feathers that were now tickling his chin. Leonard attempted to get a better look at the avian that was using his chest as a pillow, without waking him, of course, but all he could see was a headful of feathers. _Oh well_, the human thought to himself, even as he relaxed back onto the floor.

They hadn't gotten beyond kissing and a little heavy petting, but Leonard was rather satisfied with the change in their relationship. The little birdman made the cutest sounds, and responded beautifully to his advances. An unexpected win, Leonard concluded.

Unable to move without disturbing his new lover, the king began to run a dark-skinned hand down the birdman's back. Red stirred for a moment when Leonard's fingers drifted over the cloth-covered bump that indicated the start of his feathery tail, but didn't rouse from his slumber. The avians were certainly a curious species, Leonard through to himself. Just the other day, he'd marveled at the fact that avians wore knee-length tunics everywhere, except the beach. Their swimsuits were nothing more than a skirt, made from the same material as their regular clothing. And since the avian females laid eggs, and fed their young the same way birds were known to, they had no evolutionary reason to form breasts. It had been rather fascinating to watch all of the birdpeople walking around topless, their usually-hidden tailfeathers on full display.

Leonard sighed, wishing he could catch another glimpse of those silky black feathers that Red had hidden beneath his tunic. Oh well…

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

taptaptaptaptaptaptaptaptap

"Anybody home?"

"Up and attem,' Red!"

"What the fu…!" Red's head jolted up, hitting Leonard square in the chin. So much for a peaceful morning with his new lover. The human rubbed his bearded chin, even as the petite birdman pushed himself to his feet.

After adjusting his tunic to make sure he was decent, Red stormed across the room, yanking the door open with barely-concealed fury.

"Someone's more grouchy than usual," Chuck said, his unkempt yellow headfeathers brushing his shoulders.

"Hi, Leonard!" Bomb waved through the doorway, his smile as wide as ever. There didn't even seem to be a hint of surprise at having caught the two of them together.

"Hey." Leonard attempted a half-hearted wave in return, even as he massaged his now aching lower back. Getting a couch in here was the first thing on his agenda. He was not spending a second night on the floor.

Chuck glanced between Leonard and Red, before throwing his crimson-feathered friend several exaggerated eyebrow wiggles. Red only rolled his eyes in response.

"Your floor is very hard. I'll have my men bring in the couch from my sitting room. In fact, it will fit quite nicely right here," the king stated, making his way to the door.

"You're not moving stuff into my house," Red snapped, his back rigid.

"Awww, don't be like that. We were getting along so well last night." Leonard threw an arm around the petite avian's shoulders in a half hug.

"We're still enemies," Red snarked back, his glare intensifying.

"Of course, we are. I know!" Leonard snapped his fingers. "I'll have them set up the inflatable mattress in the bedroom. That will be far more comfortable than sleeping on the rug."

"Just move in why don't you…" Red grumbled, his words dripping with sarcasm.

"What a wonderful idea!" Leonard pulled his little lover close, hugging him to his side. "We can be roommates!"

"Room…" Red froze, the color draining from his face.

Squealing with glee, Chuck bounced on his feet as he exclaimed, loudly, "Can I be the best man?"

"I didn't even know you were dating, and you're already moving in together?" Bomb, for once, seemed less than pleased at this idea. "Aren't you rushing a bit too fast?"

"We're not dating," Red insisted. His cheeks were turning a rather delicate shade of pink now.

"Of course not. We're enemies with benefits," Leonard announced, winking at Red.

"And we're NOT roommates!" Red nearly shouted, his headfeathers floofing out around his face.

"Fine, then. We can be temporary roommates during my stay on avian island. After all, I do have a kingdom to run, so I can't stay here forever…" Leonard mused aloud, stroking his beard. He failed to notice the sudden flash of fury in his lover's golden eyes.

"OUT! All of you!"

All three were shoved out the house, only to have the door slammed shut before their eyes.

"What the..?" Leonard tilted his head to the side, an unwelcome feeling of hurt spreading through him.

"We should give him some space," Bomb whispered, laying a gentle wig on the human's back.

"But I thought everything was going well… there's no reason for him to be this mad at me," Leonard sighed, catching a glimpse of his crimson-feathered nemesis through the window. The little avian was slumped at the kitchen table, his head buried in his wings.

"Way to drop the ball, Leonard. Way to drop the ball," grumbled Chuck.

"What did I do?" Leonard asked, allowing the larger birdman to guide him away from Red's front door.

"You know what; I'm going for a run. You're better at this stuff than I am," the yellow-feathered man stated, throwing Bomb a look over his shoulder.

"It's fine. I'll take care of it. Have a good run, roomie." As the petite blond sped off, Bomb and Leonard were left alone with only each other for company. The dark-feathered man immediately turned toward the beach, intent on getting a bit of space between them and the other avians of the island.

"Leonard… Did you mean what you said — about wanting to be roommates with Red?" Bomb finally asked, breaking the silence.

"I was mostly teasing. He's cute when he's riled up. Although, I was serious about the couch. I'd even let him keep it when we leave," Leonard insisted, shrugging his shoulders.

Bomb's lips curved down into a disapproving frown. "I don't know how things are done on your island, but we don't joke about roommates here. You should apologize to Red."

The human king raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "For what? Joking about moving in together?"

"Yes," Bomb answered, the serious nature of his tone a strange contrast to his normally exuberant personality. "Avians mate for life. If you wanna be casual lovers, that's fine, but you only ask someone to move in with you if you're serious about the relationship."

Leonard came to a complete stop, mulling the words over in his mind. He came to a dreadful conclusion. "Wait… Are you saying I asked Red to marry me?"

"Yes. Roommates is as close to married as two males or two females can get on our island. Same-gender relationships aren't really encouraged, but as long as we're not affectionate in public, then no one cares," the avian informed him.

"That's very old-fashioned thinking. My island doesn't have those restrictions. We form relationships for many reasons, and not everyone chooses to stay together for their entire lives." Leonard felt his shoulders sag the moment he realized what his casual words had truly meant to Red. "I messed up. And then I made it worse by suggesting I didn't want him forever."

"Mmmhmmm," Bomb agreed. "I know Red isn't easy to get along with. Lost and found hatchlings are usually loners, and they don't have an easy time making friends. But Chuck and I like Red, even when he's grumpy, so if you hurt him…"

Leonard raised a hand to stop him. "I get it. I wasn't trying to hurt him. In fact… I'd like to see where this relationship goes."

"Good!" A jovial smile returned to the larger avian's face. Reaching out a wing, he clapped the dark-skinned human on the shoulder, oblivious to his own strength as Leonard stumbled under the affectionate gesture.

"So, what exactly is a lost and found hatchling?" Leonard asked curiously, once he'd regained his footing.

"Oh, that just means his parents abandoned him before his egg was even hatched," Bomb stated cheerfully.

"What?" The king gaped up at his companion in shock.

"Yep. Lost and found hatchlings are called that because their eggs are taken to the lost and found. If they hatch, then they're given to the nearest school, where the teacher is responsible for raising them. If the egg doesn't hatch, well… sometimes that's just a part of life." Bomb shrugged his shoulders, unphased by the atrocious practice he had just described.

"I see…" That certainly explained a great deal when it came to his rival's prickly and untrusting nature. If Red had been raised by loving parents, perhaps he would have been just as cheery as the other avians on the island. Leonard attempted to picture his lover as a happy and unsarcastic person, but it sent a strange chill up his spine. There was just something wonderful about how different Red was from the other avians. His stubborn nature which, at first, had been extremely annoying, was now rather endearing. No, Leonard decided, he wouldn't want Red any other way then he was now, despite the tragedy of his upbringing.

* * *

A firm knock on the other side of the door startled Red from his thoughts. Scrubbing a wing across his eyes to wipe away any unwanted tears, he stood from his seat at the table, and stomped toward the door. Grasping the handle firmly, he flung it open, an angry retort surging to the tip of his tongue. Needless to say, a bouquet of brightly colored flowers nearly being shoved up his nose was not the greeting the avian had been expecting.

Behind the flowers was a familiar human. The sheepish smile on his bearded face was enough to cool Red's impressive temper, but the petite avian merely raised a single eyebrow as he took the bouquet into his wings.

"So, uh, I had a little chat with Bomb. Apparently, I overstepped due to a cultural… misunderstanding. I apologize," Leonard explained, looking so sincere and earnest that Red couldn't even think of a snappy reply.

"It's fine," the avian mumbled, pulling the flowers closer to his face to hide the blush creeping over his cheeks. Why was he cursed with such pale skin!

"Can I escort you to dinner tonight to make up for my rudeness?" the human asked, smiling brightly.

Red felt his heart skip a beat, but quickly chalked it up to his stress levels from earlier. After all, it wasn't like he like liked Leonard. "Fine!" the avian answered abruptly. He turned to retreat back into the comfort of his home. Unable to resist, he glanced over his shoulder to see the other man's disappointed features, which Leonard quickly hid with a very fake smile.

"Okay then. I'll pick you up tonight," the king insisted, turning around to make his way back to his ship.

Red reached out a wing before he could stop himself. "I… Leonard… Do you want to come in?" He was hiding his face behind the flowers again — how pathetic.

Leonard immediately perked up, spinning around to stride quickly back up the walkway. "I'd love to."

The avian glanced away, unable to meet the other man's gaze without his heart doing that weird thing in his chest again. "Yes, come in. But we're STILL enemies, and you'd better NOT forget it!" In response, the taller man let out a chuckle that, in all honesty, made Red a little weak at the knees. Not that he'd admit it, of course.

"I wouldn't dream of it, Red," Leonard purred, following him inside. The door slid shut behind them, blocking the rest of their conversation from prying eyes and curious ears. Or, in this case, a specific set of prying eyes which had been spying on the pair from the purple boat moored in the harbor.

Pulling away from the telescope attached to the main deck, Zeta shook her head in amusement, and settled back into her favorite deck chair. A petite, golden avian raced from below decks, carrying two fruity drinks on a fancy silver tray.

"Did you learn anything of value, Zeta?" she asked, nearly tripping over her feet as she approached the empress.

"Well, my dear Debbie, it seems that our enemies have found common ground. It took very little effort on my part to goad the little red bird into admitting his unbelievably_ obvious_ feelings. And, of course, the king of the humans responded exactly as I expected he would. Two birds with one stone, my dear. Yes, all is going according to plan." Sweeping one of the drinks into her wing, she sipped at the delicious juice, her brilliant mind dismissing the pair as nothing more than a passing interest. A certain _'mighty eagle,' _on the other wing… now HE still needed to be taught a lesson.

* * *

Note: And that's all she wrote. Hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for more Leonard x Red in the future. Yes, I've seen the new movie. Silver was pretty amazing, but her and Red as a couple… I just couldn't see it happening. Wish we'd seen more of her and Courtney bonding.


End file.
